"This is really good home-cooked food," said Kay McPherson, a frequent customer of Texas Traditions restaurant.

Texas Traditions restaurant in Port Lavaca opened in May, and its owners say clientele has been growing steadily since then.

A town known for its Mexican restaurants suddenly offers a new place to dine out.

Husband and wife owners Victor and Patricia Franek sold their restaurant in Cypress to make a permanent move to their home in front of Carancahua Bay near Palacios.

They moved into the former Texana Grill, setting up shop here with a similar formula they employed at their former restaurant, which they ran for 14 years.

Patricia said the relationship between the town and the restaurant has the potential to be symbiotic.

"We saw the perfect opportunity that there is not a restaurant like this in Port Lavaca," Patricia Franek said. "That's why we chose (Port Lavaca). We thought this would be a great opportunity for us and a great asset to Port Lavaca."

The number one selling item on their menu is the chicken fried steak, they said. Customers also enjoy their slightly-sweet chicken salad sandwiches.

The bakery pumps out homemade desserts including their signature ding-dong and whoopie pie, all made from scratch.

Seafood, steaks, a salad bar, soups of the day and a kid's menu round out some of the other offerings.

All of their hamburgers are made with choice Angus beef, and you can enjoy a beer or a glass of wine at the restaurant.

Victor said the restaurant "takes care of a niche that was lacking here in Port Lavaca."